Right out of college, I started working as a software engineer on site for an engineering company (mostly electrical/mechanical). As a result, I was a bit of a unicorn which had its pros and cons. For instance, no one could really gauge my abilities because I was essentially the expert despite my lack of experience. As a result, I found myself in situations where I would be told to complete something trivial. I'd get it done quickly, and they'd turn around and assign something impossible. There was really no middle ground, and I had to spend a lot of time defending myself.
One thing led to another, and I ended up working remote. I loved it. It gave me a lot of space to learn and grow on my own which is my personal preference. The only things I didn't love were the constant phone calls at all hours of the day and the pressure of feeling like I had to work harder than everyone else.
That said, I think I was pretty successful. Though, I guess that depends how you define success. I learned a lot about myself and my abilities. Every day was a battle of imposter syndrome which quickly disappeared as I realized I knew my stuff. And, I had a lot of opportunities to teach other engineers programming which led me to where I am today: an educator.
Ultimately, I think the answer to this question has to do with the individual's personality. I like to work alone, and I struggle a bit with authority, so I thrived in an environment where I was responsible for my own time and work. Others may want a little more guidance. There's nothing wrong with that!
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I did it (sort of)!
Right out of college, I started working as a software engineer on site for an engineering company (mostly electrical/mechanical). As a result, I was a bit of a unicorn which had its pros and cons. For instance, no one could really gauge my abilities because I was essentially the expert despite my lack of experience. As a result, I found myself in situations where I would be told to complete something trivial. I'd get it done quickly, and they'd turn around and assign something impossible. There was really no middle ground, and I had to spend a lot of time defending myself.
One thing led to another, and I ended up working remote. I loved it. It gave me a lot of space to learn and grow on my own which is my personal preference. The only things I didn't love were the constant phone calls at all hours of the day and the pressure of feeling like I had to work harder than everyone else.
That said, I think I was pretty successful. Though, I guess that depends how you define success. I learned a lot about myself and my abilities. Every day was a battle of imposter syndrome which quickly disappeared as I realized I knew my stuff. And, I had a lot of opportunities to teach other engineers programming which led me to where I am today: an educator.
Ultimately, I think the answer to this question has to do with the individual's personality. I like to work alone, and I struggle a bit with authority, so I thrived in an environment where I was responsible for my own time and work. Others may want a little more guidance. There's nothing wrong with that!